Of Nightmares and Dreams
by RiganteWarrior
Summary: Before Jane's final test to graduate from squire to knight she is plagued by a recurring nightmare and worries about what it might mean and Gunther is faced with a difficult decision that threatens to tear him in two. Rated M for violence
1. Chapter 1

_She was being chased. She didn't know who or what was chasing her, or why they were. All she knew was that she had to get away. She could not fight this enemy. Sharp branches and sticks tore at her leggings and sliced through her exposed skin as she ran through the forest. A huge flying beast crashed through the treetops above her. The beast laughed maniacally at her before swooping off to leave her alone with her unknown enemy. Her legs ached and her chest burned but she did not care, she just needed to run. As she ran faster and faster still, her flaming red hair bounced around her face, obscuring her vision. An exposed tree root sent her sprawling across the forest floor as her boot caught on it. Her ankle sprained and unable to run any further, she stood gingerly with her back to the trunk of the tree and the unseen enemy grew closer. The undergrowth before her began to rustle, a dark humanoid shadow just visible beyond the bushes. Terrified now, she drew her sword only to find it was gone, instead holding in her hand a hideous clown doll that she felt she recognised but could not quite place why. She could not attack. She could not hide. There was no escape. And the hidden enemy pounced._

Jane gasped as she awoke suddenly in a cold sweat. Relieved to be awake, she jumped out of bed, opened the window and began to pace around the circular room. If anyone had been watching Jane it would have been quite apparent by the look on her face that the dream had worried her. Sitting down at the small desk opposite her bed, Jane pulled her squire's journal and a quill towards her and began to write:

"I had that dream again tonight. This time Dragon laughed at me as I ran, taking pleasure from my terror. I cannot decide if this is better or worse than the last time. And that INFERNAL clown! I hate that horrible thing! I just wish I knew what it all means, if it even means anything at all. I have thought about asking Sir Theodore about my dreams but I am sure he will say it is only anxiety for the final squire challenge which takes place in two days. This may be the case, but I am not so sure."

Putting down the quill, Jane began to glance through the last few entries in her journal, all of which concerned the nightmare. Sometimes in the dream, like tonight, she would be running through the forest. At other times she and Dragon would be flying together when the danger appeared. Often Dragon was shot through the heart with a flaming arrow, sending them both crashing to the ground. The nightmare changed often, but two things always remained the same: the feeling of terror while fleeing from an unknown yet invincible enemy, and that horrid clown. Jane hated that clown. Jane put down the journal and sighed. Through the open window she saw the sun slowly light the navy horizon to a deep salmon pink and decided to get dressed and train for a few hours before the rest of the castle awoke.


	2. Chapter 2

**Uploading two chapters at once today because this first one is a bit short but I think they still need the break between them. Anyway, hope you enjoy it.**

Dragon awoke in his cave as the sun was just reaching the tips of the trees along the horizon. He yawned loudly and stretched out luxuriously in a movement not dissimilar to that of a waking cat. However Dragon was a good deal bigger than your average house cat, and had anyone been around to comment on the similarity between them Dragon would have had a thing or two to say... or burn. Most of the villagers feared the giant creature and Dragon preferred it that way. As he yawned, Dragon's first thought of the day was of breakfast, before almost instantly shifting to Jane. Dragon was highly protective of his best friend and spent a fair deal of his time worrying about the little short-life. Especially lately. With each consecutive day she grew more and more distant, refusing to speak to him about what was troubling her. Her lack of communication with him bothered him more than he cared to admit. His great stomach shifting beneath him as he stood up, his mind once more switched to breakfast mode. Indecision flooded Dragon, torn between his monstrous hunger and his concern for Jane, when a thunderous rumble from his stomach echoed through his cave making his decision for him. Breakfast first, then he would go find Jane.


	3. Chapter 3

'Hi Pepper!' chirped Rake happily as he bounded into the kitchens like a small puppy, 'I bought you some lilies from the garden, to cheer up your kitchen.'

'Oh Rake! They are lovely!' said Pepper.

'Not as lovely as you, Pepper,' gushed Rake, suddenly becoming incredibly interested in his shoes as his face turned a shade of red to rival his roses.

'Uhm… Pepper?' mumbled Rake.

'Sorry Rake, I can't hear you,' sang Pepper as she danced about the kitchen, doing her daily chores. As she flounced past him, he took her hand. She stopped, her eyes confused as he looked into them.

'Pepper, I… I need to… tell you… ask you something,' Rake spluttered nervously.

Realisation hit Pepper. This was it, he was finally going to ask her. Excited, she said,

'You can tell me anything, Rake.'

'Pepper, will you…'

THUD! Something very large and very heavy had crashed into the vegetable garden outside. Pepper and Rake both looked out the window. As usual, the commotion was caused by Dragon. Upset by a sudden case of itchy scales, he had crash landed in the garden and was now rubbing himself up against the stone wall. His body swayed, sending his great scaled tail curving across the garden, sweeping dangerously close to,

'My tomatoes!' cried Rake, the clickety-clack of his wooden sandals already echoing off the kitchen cobblestones as he ran outside. Pepper watched, her hands on her hips as Rake waved his arms at Dragon, yelling. Dragon, oblivious as always, head turned to look at the little gardener, his rear end crashing through countless tomato plants as he did so. Pepper sat suddenly in an indignant heap. After a few seconds she sighed. That Dragon! She could not stay mad at the big lump, and she giggled as she began to see the funny side.

'Dragon!' shouted Jane angrily as she stomped into the vegetable garden to find her best friend towering over the virtually sobbing gardener looking very confused and agitated.

'Look at what you have done to Rake's tomatoes!'

Dragon arched his neck and looked behind him, seeing for the first time what was making Rake so upset. A guilty look stole across his scaly features.

'Sorry short-life,' he murmured, gathering the tomato plants in his talons and trying to stand them back up again to no avail. Rake removed his face from his hands, took one look at dragon comically trying to fix the plants and began to giggle.

'It's ok, Dragon, I will fix it.'

And with that Rake walked by Dragon and picked up the gardening tools that rested against the wall, completely forgetting his earlier discussion with Pepper.


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not like the next two chapters. Try as I might to rewrite them, they don't come out any better, so I figured to get them out of the way, I'll just upload them as is. Please don't get put off by these next two, I'm just no good at writing dialogue. **

Jester awoke to a cacophony of insults drifting in through his bedchamber window.

'Filthy biscuit weevil!' came a bad tempered female voice.

'You'll be maggot meat when I'm through with you!' responded a snide male voice.

Jester groaned and rolled over, pulling his pillow tightly around his ears. Jane and Gunther were at it again. Jane may have been his best friend but that did not excuse her from waking him up so early in the morning. Giving up any thought of sleeping in as the continued shouting penetrated his pillow fortress and rang around his head, Jester reluctantly roused himself.

As Jester entered the training yard, Jane was taunting Gunther spiritedly, obviously enjoying the fact that she was winning. She jabbed her wooden practise sword towards Gunther's stomach. He parried her thrust and sent a clumsy swing in her direction which she dodged easily before slicing in a downwards arc, landing a blow on his arm that would have almost severed it had they not been using practise swords.

'Hello Floppy-Hat,' said Dragon from the battlements, noticing Jester's arrival in between shouts of encouragement for Jane and shouts of derision towards Gunther.

Gunther noticed Jane's concentration waver as she heard Dragon and glanced behind her. Gunther saw the opportunity and he took it.

'Hey dung breath,' he sneered, 'looks like your boyfriend is here to watch you lose!'

'He's not my boyfriend,' Jane snapped, her ears becoming hot, 'and I'm not losing!'

But even as she said it, Gunther had gained the upper hand, his sword slashing at Jane's knees and knocking her from her feet.

'Yield!' Gunther shouted triumphantly, his sword pointed at Jane's throat as she lay sprawled in the dirt. Jane, embarrassed, quickly turned to look at Jester once again. She had to be sure he wasn't making fun of her. Jester however was staring very determinedly at the wall, his face having turned almost burgundy beneath his jingly hat.

Sir Ivan and Sir Theodore had been watching the duel from the sidelines and they began to make their way over to the pair of squires.

'Well done lad,' said Sir Ivan, clapping Gunther on the back. Sir Theodore however looked disappointed as he helped Jane up.

'Very clumsy Jane. A knight must learn to control their emotions, not let their emotions control them.'

'Yes, Sir Theodore,' replied Jane, downcast.

Sir Theodore moved to stand beside Sir Ivan and cleared his throat. It was time at last to reveal to the graduating squires what their final challenge was to be.

'Your final opportunity to prove to the King that you deserve to be a knight,' he began, 'has so far been shrouded in secrecy. This is because we do not know what it will be. It is not I, or Sir Ivan, or even the King who decides.'

'Aye, it is something you must choose for yourself,' chipped in Sir Ivan.

'You must complete a quest of your own choosing. It must be worthy and it might be dangerous, but it is you who will take the responsibility,' finished Sir Theodore.

Jane and Gunther glanced at each other nervously. This was nothing like anything they had done before.

'Off yer go then! Go Prepare,' shouted Sir Ivan, startling everyone.

Dragon dropped from the battlements and lurched over to Jane.

'Come on, we have a quest to go on!' he said impatiently.

'Wait, that's not fair!' yelled Gunther, 'Why does Jane get to take Dragon with her? Of course she'll do better with that overgrown lizard to protect her useless hide!'

'You watch what you say about Jane,' Dragon snarled, his eyes narrowing at Gunther.

Jane placed her hand gently on Dragon's snout and said,

'No, Dragon. He's right. This is something I must do alone.'

As Jane and Gunther left the training yard with Sir Ivan and Sir Theodore, Jester looked up at Dragon nervously.

'Jane has never had to do anything like this without your help before. Do you think she will be alright?'

'This is Jane we're talking about, Jingle-Boy,' Dragon replied haughtily, trying to disguise his own anxiousness, 'Jane is brilliant and brave, the best knight in the kingdom. She can do anything.'

'Of course you are right, Dragon.'

Jester sat down and stared at his shoes, feeling guilty that he was not entirely convinced.


	5. Chapter 5

Jane's head was resting on Dragon's surprisingly comfortable scales as they lay on the floor of his cave. Dragon was concerned. She and Gunther were to leave for the Quest tomorrow, and she still had no idea what she wanted to do. As far as her research had gotten her, there were no damsels in distress and no nearby villages that were being terrorized by monsters and brigands. Jane stood up and began pacing around the cave.

'Urgh! What am I going to do Dragon?' she growled with frustration. She stopped suddenly and began tracing her finger over the dragon runes carved into the wall of the cave.

'I guess it's not something you've ever had to worry about, Dragon. You've always had a quest to decipher the runes and find other dragons.'

'You're forgetting something Jane,' Dragon replied, 'since we became friends, you have promised we will do it together.'

'Exactly Dragon, together. I can't make the dragon runes my final test. I cannot do that without you.'

Dragon stood awkwardly and shuffled to the back of the cave. His giant rump shook from side to side as he rummaged through assorted debris, looking for something. Finally he found what he was looking for and moved back to Jane, holding in his scaly claw a musty looking piece of paper. He handed it to Jane and began to explain.

'It is a map. I was out scaring cows when a traveller gave it to me. He said something about finding the lost Dragon Relics.'

'Dragon! How long have you had this? Why didn't you tell me this before?' exclaimed Jane.

'I know you have duties in the castle Jane, and I didn't want to get our hopes up.'

'I can't take this away from you Dragon. We will go together one day.'

But Dragon would not give in, and Jane was faced with little choice. She left his cave that afternoon with a heavy heart and a mildewed map in her tunic.

The merchant was doing what he did best, ordering people around, when Gunther turned up at the docks.

'What do you want, boy?' he asked impatiently. He did not have much patience for anybody, least of all his petulant son.

'It's my final test father. It is tomorrow and I still haven't thought of a worthy quest. What if Jane becomes a knight and I do not?'

'You had better pass that test, boy. I have paid far too much money for that girlto best you. But it does not matter. I have a plan,' the merchant snarled, pronouncing the word 'girl' with particular distaste.

Gunther did not know whether to be worried or relieved. His father's plans, while well executed, usually involved something sneaky, shifty or downright illegal. He decided it was best not to ask, bid his father farewell, and left the docks.

As Gunther left, the merchant smiled to himself. Here he had a chance to be rid of the red-headed girl and her mangy pet once and for all.


	6. Chapter 6

**I have put up the rating for this story to M. There is a fair bit of violence in this chapter.**

_As Dragon snarled and jeered at her, the evil being in the trees was closing in. She reached for her sword but yet again it was not there. Just the clown doll. She held it in her hands and stared at it. The silly blue clown. It seemed so familiar somehow, as though it had been with her for years. And now it was the only thing that could protect her._

Jane awoke with a start. It was still dark out, but there were only a few hours before she and Gunther were due to leave for the quest. Unable to go back to sleep, Jane lit a candle and for the umpteenth time began to study the old map that Dragon had given her. Despite her nightmares, there was no avoiding it, she would have to travel deep into the forest.

...

_Jester's path was blocked by a three headed horror beast. The creature was similar to a panther but where there should have been fur, it was covered instead by scales as black as death. One of its heads lunged at him, its snakelike fangs dripping with poison. Jester jumped out of the way, his sword lashing out and severing the head. The beast was enraged, its other two heads flailing and diving maniacally. Another of the heads attacked, but Jester was not fast enough and it bit down onto his ribs, severely damaging his shining steel breastplate. As the beast's jaws locked onto him, throwing his sword aside and pulling out a jewelled dagger, he grabbed it around the neck and stabbed it in the eye. The head writhed into the air, taking Jester with it. Jester swung himself on top on it and positioned himself just below its ears, stabbing his dagger through the back of its skull and into its brain. The creature shrieked, the tortured sound like fingernails down a chalkboard. Jester slid down the writhing neck of the beast, slippery now with blood. The remaining head craned its neck to see the gleaming silver knight perched on its back like a man on a horse. In a final effort to kill the man on its back, it pounced at Jester with its fangs fully extended. Jester waited until the last second and jumped from the beast and it fangs tore into its own flesh like daggers through butter._

_Jester stood triumphantly over the dying monster and picked up his sword, before disappearing down the dark tunnel that it had been guarding. When Jester reached the end of the tunnel, he saw the familiar mop of fiery red hair and was swamped by relief. She was alive!_

_Jane was locked in a tiny, filthy dungeon cell, surrounded by men in dark cloaks. Each man had a wolf at his side and a short sword in his hand. Jane's beautiful face was contorted with terror, her green eyes wide and staring. She had not seen Jester yet. That was good. It gave him a chance to figure out a plan. Suddenly, one of the men shouted an order to the others. The other three began to grumble and hesitantly left the room through an iron door next to Jane's cell. Jester now only had one man and four wolves to deal with. The first man took a key from his belt and began to unlock Jane's cell, staring at her with lust in his eyes. There was no time for a plan now, decided Jester. He raised his sword and let loose a battle cry, charging into the midst of the wolves. They bit down on his already damaged armour, tearing at it, trying to rip it from his body. Jester hacked his sword into the pack, tearing the head from one wolf's shoulders and gutting another. Hearing the wolves' howls of pain, the cloaked men who had left the room stampeded back through the iron door just as Jester was killing a third wolf. Jester turned to face the dungeon master who sliced his sword across Jester's exposed face. Blood spurted from the wound below his eye, obscuring his vision. The dungeon master was fast, but Jester was faster, and despite his impaired eyesight, in a few short moments the dungeon master's head bounced to the floor and his body crumpled beneath him. Taking out the last wolf, Jester turned to face the three remaining men. Jester's sword came up, severing the arm of one of the men. He screamed and ran for the exit. Jester let him go. The two remaining men, their boss dead and no hope of defeat, surrendered, dropping their weapons to the floor. _

_Taking a rope from the corner of the dungeon, Jester bound the two men, searched the master's body for the key, and unlocked the cell door. Jane fell into his arms with tears in her eyes. _

_'You're hurt,' she said, her fingers reaching gently towards the wound below his eye. Jester took her hand and held it against his face. Jane's eyes closed and pulled her face towards his..._

A loud rapping at the door awoke Jester. It was Pepper. Jane was leaving for her quest and she was reminding him to come and see her off. Jester got dressed, put on his jingly blue hat and sighed. Who was he kidding. Jane didn't need him, she could look after herself. He could never be her knight in shining armour.


	7. Chapter 7

The sun shone brightly in the midmorning sky, causing the chamberlain's eyes to glisten tearfully as he fussed over his daughter like a clucky mother hen.

'And don't talk to strange men, Jane. I hope you've packed a warm cloak, it might rain,' he nagged.

'I'll be fine, father,' Jane groaned with impatience, 'I can take care of myself.'

The chamberlain sighed and smiled proudly at his daughter.

'I know you can. Just be careful, okay?' he finished, kissing Jane on the forehead. As the chamberlain stepped away, Jane's mother, critical as always, tried to flatten down Jane's flyaway shock of hair with her hands.

'I suppose there's no way to convince you to give up this silliness?' she asked with a frown. Jane shook her head, her hair immediately bouncing back into its usual frizzmop.

'I guess I'll just have to get used to the idea of my daughter being a knight then,' a small smile played around the corners of her disapproving mouth, 'we are proud of you, dear,' she finished and embraced her daughter suddenly.

...

Gunther stood with his arms crossed, glaring at Jane from across the clearing. She thought she was so special, surrounded by her family, and now her friends were there as well. That annoying kitchen woman was saying something to Jane, and she was crying and laughing _at the same time_! Gunther was incredulous at this phenomenon. The puny gardener came forward and embraced Jane. He was crying too. What a little woman that gardener was! At least the big frog had made himself scarce. That dragon was constantly giving Jane an unfair advantage over Gunther and he was sick of it. When the townspeople saw Jane walk by they would cheer and exclaim,

'Look, there is Jane! The first female knight, isn't she brilliant!'

but when Gunther walked by they would mutter behind their hands,

'Do you see that kid squire over there? His father bribed the king to let him become a knight. How dishonourable!'

Gunther worked hard to be better than Jane. He trained until he could no longer stand up, and then he would study until it was dark and his candle had burnt out. But no matter what he did, Jane was better. Jane had a dragon. He hated that dragon and he hated Jane. Gunther kicked angrily at a rock. His foot caught on the gravel and he slipped and fell to the dirt. A series of familiar snorts and guffaws told Gunther that Jane had seen him fall, and he cried out in anger as he picked himself up from the ground. Hoping at least that his father hadn't seen him fall, Gunther scanned the crowd. The merchant had promised Gunther that he would present him with something that would give him an edge over Jane in the coming quest, and there he was, talking with the king. Gunther was hopeful. Maybe it would be a fine sword, or some kind of magical talisman. Gunther went back to glaring at Jane and her friends.

'Oh for crying out loud!' cried Gunther, exasperated, as the stoic Smithy handed Jane a brand new hunting knife. No doubt he had made it himself. Stupid Jane and her stupid friends! Gunther jumped as a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

'Calm down, boy,' growled his father, to whom the hand belonged. The merchant held out a roll of wax sealed parchment to his son, but as Gunther made to take the roll from him, he snatched it away.

'Do not open it here. Do not open it in front of Jane. Do not leave it lying around, when you are done with it, burn it. You got that, boy?'

Gunther nodded, and the merchant allowed him to take the rolled up parchment from him, before waddling back to the king's side without another word.

'Yes, good luck Gunther. I'm proud of you Gunther,' Gunther muttered sarcastically under his breath as he watched his father walk away.

"Don't be stupid, boy,' growled his father without turning around.

...

Jester at last approached Jane. Something he had been both looking forward to and dreading for several days now. Jester had written Jane a limerick and he had been rehearsing it for hours. It had taken him several mornings to write, sitting at the desk in his small circular bedroom.

"There was once a squire on a quest," he had written on his first attempt,

"I wish I could see her undressed"

Looking down at what he had written, Jester scribbled out the last line angrily, scrunched up the piece of parchment and threw it to the corner. Jester stood up and tried reciting out loud.

'There was once a fine lady named Jane,

Who found wearing dresses a pain,

So she put her skills to the test,

And set off on a quest,

She returned... completely... insane. Urgh!'

At that point he had sat down and slumped in his chair, softly banging his head on the desk, sure he would never find the words. Even now as he stood before Jane and all his friends he was not entirely happy, but it was all he had, so he cleared his throat and began.

'There was once a young lady squire,

Who had hair the colour of fire.

In a quest of survival

She outmatched her rival

And Gunther was forced to retire!'

While not up to his usual standard, anything that poked fun at Gunther was fine in Jane's book and she emitted a small but unladylike snort of laughter. Pepper, giggling mildly, exchanged meaningful looks with Rake and Smithy. Suddenly Pepper cried out,

'I need to go start preparing the celebratory stew for when you return!' bounding away to the castle kitchens, taking Jane's parents by their hands and leading them away.

She was closely followed by Rake who spluttered awkwardly, 'I need to go and... help Pepper!'

'Good luck Jane,' said Smithy simply, before following Pepper and Rake, leaving Jane and Jester alone.

Jester, feeling suddenly ridiculous, pulled off his hat and balled it up nervously in his hands.

'Good luck from me too, Jane. I mean not that you need it. Luck that is. You know, because you have a sword and... can... cut things...' Jester rambled, his ears growing hot. Jester quickly shoved his hat back onto his head in an attempt to hide his embarrassed ears from Jane.

'Your hat! It is... oh,' laughed Jane at the jaunty angle that the hastily donned hat had taken on Jester's caramel curls. She reached up and straightened his hat, its bells twinkling as her hand brushed his cheek. Jane dropped her hand suddenly, her face turning a shade of red to rival her hair. Jester sighed and took Jane's hand in his,

'I know it's silly, but you're my best friend. I just want you to come home to us.'

'I will, Jester. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself.'

'I don't doubt it, Jane,' Jester smiled, suddenly regaining his usual cheerfulness. 'Here, something to remember me by,' he said as he carefully unravelled one of the bells from his hat and handed it to her, before dancing away from her with his signature jig.

Gunther and Sir Theodore were at Jane's side as Jester danced off.

'It is time to go now, Jane,' Said Sir Theodore. 'If you are ready?'

'Yes Jane,' Gunther sneered, 'are you done talking to your boyfriend?'

Before Jane could respond, a giant green blur came cannoning down into the clearing, forcing everyone running into the trees.

"Oi, Rusty-Legs!' Dragon called, 'You didn't really think you could let her go without saying goodbye to me did you?'

'You really mustn't call Sir Theodore that,' chided Jane, running out from the trees and throwing her arms around his great scaly neck.


	8. Chapter 8

**Just a quick note before we begin, if you bear (bare? You know what I mean anyway) with me. Sorry it took so long for me to write this chapter. I could fill this here section with excuses but I'm not going to do that, all I want to say is that I haven't forgotten this story and I WILL finish it. **

**I re-wrote this chapter a few times and I'm still not entirely happy with it, so let me know what you guys think. This story is posted also to my deviant art account, also named RiganteWarrior, if you want to keep updated or look at some crappy illustrations I did for it :D **

Cleaver whinnied angrily at Jane as she dug her heels into the horse's flanks, just that little bit too hard. Jane muttered a half hearted apology to Cleaver before continuing to stare stony-faced at the horizon.

'Talking to a horse, Jane?' Gunther goaded, glancing sideways at her to check her reaction. When he didn't get one he continued with a sneer, 'you know it cannot understand you? Or perhaps you are just too desperately lonely to care?'

Still no reaction. Dung it! Gunther cursed to himself. Besides, she was so dependant on those annoying friends of hers, out here without them it was probably true anyway. _Poor_ little Jane, without that kitchen wench to feed her and the giant lizard watching her back all the time, she cannot last two minutes on her own. Gunther sniffed angrily. That must be it. She thought so much of herself that she would rather talk to the horse than acknowledge her fellow squire riding beside her. No wonder he could think of nothing to say to her but insults.

...

Jane was struggling to keep her temper. She knew Gunther was just trying to provoke her and she refused to give him the satisfaction of a response. Only minutes before he had made an obscene remark about her friend Pepper, and gleefully watched her face grow hot and her knuckles whiten as they gripped the reins tightly in her balled up fists. He even laughed as she threw insults back at him. No. She was not going to let her anger entertain him any longer. Jane was sure that he did not_ always_ annoy her on purpose, but that was just who he was. Something about him just ticked people off. Even his own father seemed to prefer to spend as little time with him as possible, although Jane was not particularly fond of the merchant either. But, Sir Theodore had recommended that they stick together for as much of their journey as possible. Safety in numbers, he had said. Even so, Jane was beginning to wish for an excuse to leave Gunther behind.

'There is a fork in the road up ahead,' Gunther called.

Instantly irritated by his whiney voice, Jane retorted, 'I can see that, dung brain!' So preoccupied had she been that she had not seen it of course, but that was beside the point.

Gunther opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to think of insult of his own to throw back at Jane, but it would not come to him. He decided to let Jane have this round and continued on in silence. At least the fork in the path would provide him with an opportunity to get the skinny squire off his back. Gunther had made up his mind. Whatever way that Jane went when they reached it, he would go the other. After all, he had yet to discover what his quest even was. The sealed note his father felt heavy in his pocket and his father's words ringing in his mind: "Do not open it in front of Jane."

As they approached the fork in the road, a low rumbling sound disturbed the tense silence between the two. Gunther looked up, angrily expecting to see that giant green lump Jane called a best friend and his forever rumbling stomach. What he saw instead however were thick black storm clouds just visible above the mountains in the distance.

Jane's blazing bob bounced from side to side as she instinctively began to seek out shelter.

'There's a small cave over there through those trees,' she gestured after consulting her map. 'We can shelter there until the storm passes.'

'You can shelter wherever you like, I'm getting out of here,' Gunther replied, still determined to be rid of her. The storm, however, chose that moment to open up the skies and rain began to fall thick and fast upon them both.

Jane glanced at Gunther smugly and said, 'Well go on then, don't let me hold you back,' and she headed off in the direction of the cave.

Gunther watched her a moment before sighing and sulkily trudging after her.

Gunther sat brooding in a corner as he watched Jane feed and water the horses, then pull some dry tinder from her pack and light a small fire. She pulled a small bow and several arrows from her pack and left the cave. After a while she returned, wet through from the storm, with two skinned rabbits and a handful of wild mushrooms which she threw together in a pot and placed over the fire.

'I'd ask you if you need a hand with anything, but you seem to have it all under control,' said Gunther, his spirits rising with the smell of roasting meat. He took a loaf of brown bread from his own pack and broke it in half to offer to Jane.

'Thank you Gunther,' said Jane, slightly taken aback by his sudden amiability. Jane sat down by the fire to dry off, and there was a comfortable silence as they ate.

At last when the rabbits had been eaten, the two decided on a three hourly watch rotation. You could never be too careful in the woods, and there were bandits about the area. Gunther offered to take first watch and Jane unfurled her bedroll and settled herself as comfortably as she could on the cold stone floor of the cave.

As Gunther sat contentedly by the fire, warm and with a full belly, he regretted his earlier pettiness towards Jane. She had obviously come well prepared despite not having Dragon and her other friends to bail her out. He watched her sleeping form for a moment, admiring the way her hair spread from her head like flames, framing her face from the darkness of the cave. Maybe Jane was not so bad after all. In the morning, he would make a special effort to try and make it up to her.

When Gunther was sure Jane was asleep, he got up and removed his father's letter from his pack. Tearing open the seal, his feeling of content vanished instantly, to be replaced by dread upon reading the words of his father.

Gunther's quest? To become a dragon slayer.


	9. Chapter 9

Jester stared absent-mindedly into his soup as he poked the floating chunks of beef to the bottom with his fork and allowed them to rise once more to the top. He had been doing this for some time before Pepper noticed he was not eating and became worried.

"Is something the matter, Jester?" She asked tentatively, "you usually love my beef and vegetable soup."

"Huh?" Jester grunted as he realised he was being spoken to and roused himself out of the rather morbid daydream he had been having. "Sorry, Pepper. It's delicious, I just… I'm worried about Jane."

"There's no need to worry about Jane," began Smithy from the other side of the table, "She knows how to take care of herself."

Jester sighed, "I know, but I just keep thinking what if something happens? What if she falls in a hole or something and Dragon isn't there to help her out?"

Rake, being his usual nervous self, began to let his imagination run away with him.

"What if she _does_ fall in a hole? Or a cave collapses on her? Or she's attacked by bandits? Oh! What if she and Gunther get into one of their fights and end up chopping each other's heads off!? Oh no, Jane…"

Pepper gave Rake an affectionate slap over the back of the head. "Don't be ridiculous. Jane will be just fine."

"Pepper's right," Smithy continued, "Jane is strong, brave and resourceful. She will come back to us in one piece."

Jester sighed, "You're right. Thank you for the meal, Pepper." Then he stood and left the table, his bowl remained untouched.

"They're right you know?"

Dragon appeared over the castle parapets as Jester sat alone on the old swing.

"You heard all that did you?" Jester asked without looking up.

"I worry about her too," Dragon replied.

Together the two sat in companionable silence for a while, both lonely and worried for their best friend.

Pepper watched Dragon and Jester from her kitchen window whilst mixing a large bowl of raw bread dough.

"I am worried about those two, Rake," she told the gardener as he waltzed in to deliver a large basket of vegetables. "Since Jane left, all they do it sit and mope."

"Perhaps we should try to cheer them up" suggested Rake, "We could throw a 'Jane's going to be fine' party?"

"I do not think that another party is going to work this time, Rake." Pepper replied sadly and began to pull the simple silver chain from around her neck. Glancing down at her pale, work-worn hands, she removed the delicate golden band that hung from the chain and twisted it nervously on to her finger, its one small diamond gleaming brightly in the afternoon sun.

"I know we were going to wait until after Jane got back to tell them," Pepper blushed as she took the gardener's tanned, dirty hands in her own, "but maybe they need some good news in the meantime?"

Rake nodded his consent, and the two walked to the garden hand in hand to tell their friends of their upcoming nuptials.

The moon was high in the night sky as Magnus wrapped his expensive fur cloak tight around his massive frame and bustled out into the night. He came to a dark alleyway in the marketplace. Standing there was a hooded man dressed all in dark leather, a belt of knives strapped around his waist. The merchant offered the man a small leather pouch. The man opened the pouch and the metallic clink of gold coins broke through the silence of the alleyway.

"So, this red headed girl..?" the assassin began to ask before being interrupted by the merchant.

"Just get it done," he muttered before his enormous frame went skulking off into the night.


End file.
